DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/10/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: ELECTRICAL MACHINE HAVING A COOLING JACKET FOR INVERTERS.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the control module and power module as claimed in claim 4 and its dependents must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 3 and 7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 3: “wherein the DC power connection ring comprises lamination” should read -- wherein the DC power connection ring comprises laminations--.
Claim 7: “wherein the DC power connection ring is coupled to a bottom side of cooling jacket.” should read --wherein the DC power connection ring is coupled to a bottom side of the cooling jacket.--
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-13, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanabe et al. (US 2021/0175771) in view of Watanabe et al. (US 2016/0285335).
In claim 1, Tanabe teaches (Fig. 1-47) an electrical machine (800) comprising: a cooling jacket (703) defining a plurality of recess cavities (713), the cooling jacket (703) configured to maintain the temperature of the electrical machine (800) below a pre-determined threshold; a plurality of segmented inverters (7, 110), each of the plurality of segmented inverters (7, 110) received within one of the plurality of recess cavities (713) of the cooling jacket (703); a plurality of stator windings (706) electrically coupling the plurality of the segmented inverters (7, 110) to an alternating current (AC) terminal (connection to 3; [0080]); and a positive DC power connection (12) electrically coupling the plurality of segmented inverters (7, 110) with a positive DC power source (connection of 12 to 2); and a negative DC power connection (13) electrically coupling the plurality of segmented inverters (7, 110) with a negative DC power source (connection of 13 to 2).
Tanabe does not teach a direct current (DC) power connection ring comprising: a positive DC power connection electrically coupling the plurality of segmented inverters with a positive DC power source; and a negative DC power connection electrically coupling the plurality of segmented inverters with a negative DC power source.
However, Watanabe teaches (Fig. 5) a direct current (DC) power connection ring (22) comprising: DC power connection terminals (26) for connecting to a DC power source ([0038-0039]).
Therefore in view of Watanabe, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to provide connectors which can be axially provided without affecting the mounting volume or size of the inverters ([0008]).
In claim 2, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 1; furthermore Tanabe teaches wherein each of the plurality of segmented inverters (7, 110) operate independently of each other (Fig. 1).
In claim 3, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 1, with the exception of wherein the DC power connection ring comprises lamination, the lamination isolating the positive DC power connection and the negative DC power connection in the DC power connection ring.
However, Watanabe further teaches wherein the DC power connection ring (22) comprises laminations (26), the lamination (26) isolating the positive DC power connection (26) and the negative DC power connection (respective 26) in the DC power connection ring (22).
Therefore further in view of Watanabe, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to provide connectors which can be axially provided without affecting the mounting volume or size of the inverters ([0008]).
In claim 5, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 1; furthermore Tanabe teaches wherein each of the plurality of segmented inverters (7, 110) are three-phase power inverters ([0068]).
In claim 6, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 1, with the exception of wherein each of the plurality of segmented inverters are six-phase power inverters.
However, Watanabe further teaches wherein each of the plurality of segmented inverters (21) are six-phase power inverters ([0079]).
Therefore further in view of Watanabe, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to provide a switching element provided with multiphase connections without affecting the size of the machine ([0008]).
In claim 7, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 1, with the exception of wherein the DC power connection ring is coupled to a bottom side of the cooling jacket.
However, Watanabe further teaches wherein the DC power connection ring (22) is coupled to a bottom side of a motor jacket (3).
Therefore further in view of Watanabe, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to provide connectors which can be axially provided without affecting the mounting volume or size of the inverters ([0008]).
In claim 8, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 1; furthermore Tanabe teaches a back plate (axial end portion of 703) and a front plate (respective axial end portion of 703), wherein the back plate (end portion of 703) is on the opposite end of the electrical machine (800) from the front plate (respective axial end portion of 703) and wherein the back plate (axial end portion of 703) and the front plate (respective axial end portion of 703) make up at least a portion of a housing (703) for the electrical machine (800).
In claim 9, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 1; furthermore Tanabe teaches a stator (Abstract), and a rotor (Abstract) disposed within the stator and configured to rotate within the stator to generate electricity for the electric machine (800; [0055]).
Tanabe does not teach the stator comprising a plurality of teeth projecting radially inwards, wherein the plurality of teeth defines a plurality of slots that accommodate the plurality of stator windings.
However, Watanabe further teaches (Fig. 2-3) a stator (4) comprising a plurality of teeth projecting radially inwards ([0024]), wherein the plurality of teeth defines a plurality of slots that accommodate the plurality of stator windings (7; [0024]).
Therefore further in view of Watanabe, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to provide a stator structure which can have a ring connector with the inverters provided without affecting the mounting volume or size of the inverters ([0008]).
In claim 10, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 9; furthermore Tanabe as modified teaches wherein the plurality of stator windings (7; Watanabe) are pre-formed coils which are placed on the plurality of teeth ([0024]).
In claim 11, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 1, with the exception of wherein the plurality of stator windings are at least one of flat wire windings or hairpin windings.
However, Watanabe further teaches wherein the plurality of stator windings (7) are flat wire windings.
Therefore further in view of Watanabe, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to provide a stator structure which can have a ring connector with the inverters provided without affecting the mounting volume or size of the inverters ([0008]).
In claim 12, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 1; furthermore Tanabe teaches wherein the plurality of stator windings (connections to 11 from 3) are grouped into a plurality of sub-groups of stator windings (U, V, W) and wherein each of the plurality of sub-groups of stator windings are coupled to a single segmented inverter (7, 110) of the plurality of segmented inverters (7, 110).
In claim 13, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 12; furthermore Tanabe teaches wherein each of the plurality of sub-groups of stator windings are three-phase systems (U, V, W) of windings which create three complete and independent phases without being connected to the other sub-groups of stator windings (as they’re connected to each inverter 7, 110).
In claim 16, Tanabe as modified teaches the machine of claim 1; furthermore Tanabe teaches wherein the plurality of segmented inverters (7, 110) includes a thin coat of thermal interface material (50) configured enhance the thermal coupling between the plurality of segmented inverters (7, 110) and the plurality of recessed cavities (713).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 14-15 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The cited prior art taken singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitation of the (in)dependent claim(s), in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be proper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the features as presented in the (in)dependent claim(s) with the allowable feature being:
Claim 4: “wherein each of the plurality of segmented inverters comprises: a control module configured to control the functionality of the segmented inverter; a power module electrically coupled to the control module; at least one positive DC busbar to which the positive DC power connection is electrically coupled; and at least one negative DC busbar to which the negative DC power connection is electrically coupled.”
Claim 14: “wherein each of the plurality of sub-groups of stator windings are coupled to the plurality of segmented inverters through a plurality of terminals which are structured as isolated separators.”
Claim 15: “wherein the cooling jacket includes eight recess cavities configured to receive eight segmented inverters.”
The examiner found no prior art satisfies all above conditions by itself or as combined during the examination period.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ide et al. (US 2018/0146577) teaches a power converter that can be reduced in size.
Jung et al. (US 2018/0026493) teaches an electric motor including a case body provided with an inner case and an outer case together forming a cooling fluid flow path penetratingly formed in an axial direction of the case body
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHAD H JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1231. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am-5pm.
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RASHAD H. JOHNSON
Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/RASHAD H JOHNSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834